Package for safety razor blades



Jan. 29., 1935.

s B; H EPPENSTALL, JR

PACKAGE FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Filed June 9, 1932 M 223E 3-. m i H m Mm .5 ....v. 1 4 MW. L 0 7 4: 1 iii-Li- LLO C(WF a. 2

INVENTOR Patented Jan. 29, 1935 I 1,989,516

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Samuel B.Heppenstall, In, Pittsburgh, Pa., as-

signor to Heppenstall Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation ofPennsylvania Application June 9, 1932, Serial No. 616,191

' 1 Claim. (01. 206-46) The invention relates to packages for safetyapplicability to disposal of used blades; Fig. 'l a razor blades. viewof a blank used in making a modified form The disposition of old bladesis, in general, a of package; and Fig. 8 a longitudinal verticaltroublesome problem to a great many users of section of a package formedfrom the blank safety razors, for that they cannot safely be shown inFig. '7. 5

thrown into a waste basket or other trash re- In accordance with theinvention the container ceptacle without exposing others, especiallywhichmay be of conventional shape, is divided children, to the danger ofbeing cut. Careful bya longitudinal partition into two sections eachwrapping to avoid that danger is an inconof which is provided with ablade-passing openl0 venience, especially since the need for discardinging. One section receives new blades, and the 10 a blade commonly comeswhen the person is reother used blades, the partition separating theluctant to take the necessary time. Formerly two sections so as toprevent commingling of blades could be thrown into the toilet, sincethey old and new blades and thus to prevent used would disintegrate byrusting in the trap; but blades escaping with the new blades. -In thewith the present trend to non-rusting steels this preferred embodimentthe partition separates the 15 mode of disposalis precluded. supply ofnew blades broadside from one wall Nor is it safe to replace. such usedblades in of the case and initially lies closely adjacent theconventional boxes in which new blades are to that wall, but is movableacross the container 1 sold, since with such boxes the new and old sothat as new blades are removed the partition blades are ,commingled andthere is considerable is free to move to increase the used-blade re- 20danger of being cut by the unwrapped old blades ceiving space.Preferably, also, the new blades in removing a new blade. The boxes usedprior are carried by a tape disposed in the case for to this inventionwere not particularly useful, successive withdrawal of individualblades, as therefore, in solving the problem of blade diswill bedescribed presently. In addition to act- 26 posal, and they=have beendisadvantageous in ing as a new blade dispenser and used blade rethatwith them it has been difficult to withdraw ceiver of the type justreferred to, the container a' single blade. That is, it is necessary toshake also serves as a sealed receptacle for ready disthe boxes toremove a blade, and this procedure .posal of its enclosed used blades.usually causes several, or all, of the blades to Havingreferencenowtothe preferred embodi- 80 fall out, additional time beingconsumed in rement shownin Figs. 1 to 6, the package comprises -30placing the excess bladesa base 1, Fig. 1, having a continuous upstand-It is among the objects of this invention to ing peripheral flange 2,and a cover 3 having a providearazor blade package for dispensingnewdepending flange 4 adapted to telescope over and safely disposing ofused blades, which is proflange 2. Base 1 and cover 3 are formed from 85vided with means for receiving and storing disrigid material,advantageously sheet metal, and carded blades separately from the supplyof new they are connected in any suitable manner to blades, whichprevents escape of old blades in form'asealed container, shown in Figs.4 and 5, withdrawing a new blade, minimizes the likeas by indentations 5peened in flange 4-which lihood of placing old blades with the newblades, engage similar detents 6 in flange 2.-

40 serves as a means for ready and' safe 'disposel --Disposed within thecontainer is aneccordlon- 40 of the contained old blades when the supplyof folded tape 7, Fig. 1, of uniform width and prefernew blades has beenexhausted, is simple and ably formed .rom tough flexible paper,alternate inexpensive, and which in the preferred emfolds 8 of whichcarry a. succession of blades 9 bodiment is substantially no larger thanormounted longitudinally of the folds. Between 48 din'ary bladepackages, and supplies single blades folds 8 the tape forms intermediateflexible conaccording to need. necting members 10, these folds beingequal in The invention is illustrated in the accompanylength to folds 8.The blades are held in relatively ing drawing of which Fig. 1 is adisassembled fixed position by tabs 13 struck up from the forview of thepreferred embodiment showing its ward end of folds 8, and by adhesive,indicated 50 component parts; Fig. 2 an unfolded plan view---schematically at 14, Fig. 3, applied between the i on a reduced scaleof the tape shown in Fig. 1; rear end of fold 8 and the protectivewrapper 15, Fig. 3 a fragmentary enlarged yiew of Fig. 2; of waxedpaper, or the like, within which the Figs. 4 and 5 plan and side views,respectively of blades are enclosed. the package showing a single bladewithdrawn; Tape 7 is disposed with a free end 16 projecting Pig. 6 abottom view of the package showing its through a slot formed in one endof the container. ll

The blades are removed from the case one at a time by pulling end 16through the slot, whereupon the first fold 8 with its blade 9 iswithdrawn, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The: succeeding connecting fold 10is also withdrawn, and the blade is detached by tearing fold 10 acrossa'line of weakness 17 formed intermediate folds 8. This leaves an end16a projecting through the slot for removal of the next blade. End 16may be initially attached to the outside of the case in any suitablemanner that permits of its being detached for pulling out the firstblade. This construction thus provides for'removal of only one blade ata time, the remaining blades-being retained in the container untiltension is applied to the leading, or intermediate, fold 10 to whichthey are immediately connected.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor ready disposal of old, or used, blades. To this end there isdisposed in the container a partition member which separates tape 7 fromone wall, and which forms with that wall a closed section for receptionof used blades inserted through a slot formed in-the wall for thatpurpose, the partition acting to maintain the old separate from the newblades, and to prevent the old blades from escaping through the slotfrom which new blades are withdrawn. Preferably the partition ismovable, and is initially in contact, or substantially so, with the walland the adjacent new blade. As each new blade is removed from thecontainer the thickness of the pack of new blades remaining is reducedcorrespondingly, so that the partition may move away from the wall toprovide a progressively increasing used blade section. In this mannerthe containers need be not appreciably larger than the conventionalpackages now in use.

One mode of realizing this feature is shown in Figs. 1 and 4 to 6, inwhich embodiment the lowermost fold of tape 7 rests against a looselypositioned partition member 18 extending longitudinally of the containerbetween its side walls and initially bearing against the bottomwall. Theuppermost fold of the tape lies against the top wall with its end 16projecting through an end slot formed at the edge by omitting flange 4and cutting the adjacent portion of flange 2 back slightly, as seen inFig. 1.

Old blades are inserted into the container between bottom wall 1 andpartition 18 through an aperture 19 provided for that purpose andpositioned to prevent entry of the blades into the tape-carryingsection. While this aperture may be positioned variously it is preferredto form it as shownin Fig. 1, to lie in the plane of the bottom wall. Asan old blade 9a.is inserted through aperture 19 (Fig. 6) it mustbendslightly, since it passes from one plane to another parallel thereto.

After the outer end of the blade has snapped through aperture 19 intothe container it cannot thereafter escape through the aperture, becausethere is nothing to bend its end out of its plane to start it throughthe slot.

To prevent'used blades deposited in the bottom of the case from escapingthrough the tapewithdrawal slot, partition 18 is provided with uprightintegral side flanges 20. These bear against cover 3 and limit themovement of the partition so as to prevent used blades beneath it fromreaching the slot, even after all of the new blades have been removed.

A modified form of blade package embodying the invention is illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8. The container shown in Fig. 8 comprises sides 25continuous with a bottom wall 26 and a top wall 27, and in-foldingend-closure tabs 28, of conventional form, connected to one of thewalls, e. g. 26. Connected to one end of the other wall, in thisinstance 27, is an extension 29 which is folded back along the wallinteriorly to the other end, where it is folded to form a transverseflap 30 extending across the end beneath tab 28. This provides anew-blade section 31 accessible only suitably this container is formedfrom a single blank of foldable material, such as thin cardboard, ablank of appropriate shape being shown in Fig. 7 with its variousportions numbered to indicate the portion of the completed containercorresponding thereto.

Thus the invention provides a single container,

for packaging new razor blades and for reception of old blades, thelatter being prevented both from commingling with the new blades andalso from escaping when new blades are removed. Moreover, it provides aclosed or sealed container enclosing such used blades, for safe,convenient and rapid disposal of old blades, eliminating theinconvenience and danger formerly attendant upon such disposal. In thepreferred embodiment the package dispenses but a single blade at a time,which affords a distinct advance over prior packages. These featurescombine in a package of substantially the same size as those of theconventional pasteboard type used heretofore.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated anddescribed what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However,I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallyillustrated and described.

I claim:

A package for dispensing new and disposing of old razor blades,comprising a blade-receiving container, and a longitudinal partitionmember disposed in the container cooperating with its upper wall to forma new blade compartment and with the opposed lower wall toform a usedblade compartment, an edge of the container being provided with a slot,opening into said new blade compartment for withdrawal of individualnew blades therefrom, and said bottom wall being provided with a narrowtransverse aperture adja-,

